TEC unveils key reports in its new website

The reports are the result of months of field visits, consultations across all 33 districts and direct inputs from teachers, families, experts and administrators.

One of the most detailed reports proposes a phased overhaul of government schools by introducing large, integrated campuses at the mandal level. Instead of multiple small institutions struggling with poor enrolment and overburdened teachers, each mandal would have three Telangana Public Schools (TPS) catering to students from nursery to Class XII and four Telangana Foundational Schools (TFS) focused on early education.

These schools would be equipped with English, science and maths labs, digital learning tools in every classroom, and even AI labs. The design also incorporates meals, sports infrastructure, libraries and career guidance programmes.

“These are detailed reports on the issues we have been working on from mid-day meals to fee structure and the overhaul of the school education system in Telangana,” said Prof. P.L. Vishveshwar Rao, a member of the commission. “It’s not prepared in isolation. We spoke to every category of stakeholder, including the government. The idea is rooted in the constitutional obligation of the state to provide free and quality education under Article 21A of the Constitution.”

A single mandal’s revamp involving seven schools (3 TPS and 4 TFS) would cost `50 crore. Statewide implementation across 632 mandals, spread over six phases till 2031, is projected at `31,600 crore. The Commission recommends that school management committees (SMCs) oversee construction and upgrades instead of a contractor-led model, which raises the cost by 40 per cent.

The second report addresses food quality and safety in midday meals and residential hostels. Ground visits to 85 sites across Telangana found glaring violations like milk served after expiry dates, eggs boiled days in advance and spoiled rice offered to students. Children in some hostels ate burnt rice with watery curries in rusted aluminum plates.

To prevent such conditions, the commission has proposed decentralised food sourcing through women’s self-help groups and cooperatives and real-time dashboards for quality inspections. Every district is to have an independent food testing lab. The system includes camera-monitored kitchens and citizen reporting tools.

The third report lays out a draft Bill to regulate fees in unaided private schools and junior colleges. Among its proposals are digital disclosure of all fees, a ceiling should be imposed for annual hikes without prior approval and a new Fee Regulatory and Monitoring Commission.

Budget schools charging less than `50,000 per year would be exempt, but all institutions would be required to publish government-vetted prospectuses. Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) would be restructured with defined roles and institutions that fail to comply with the regulations could face penalties or loss of recognition.